A significant military operation was conducted last night as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), along with its allied forces, launched a coordinated attack on Israel.

The attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, involved the use of drones along with cruise and ballistic missiles, originating from several fronts including Lebanon, Yemen, and other locations.

Timeline of Events:

  • April 1, 2024: Alleged Israeli airstrike on Iranian consular building in Damascus.
  • April 13, 2024: Iran and allies launch Operation True Promise, targeting Israel with drones and missiles.
  • April 14, 2024: Iran’s UN envoy declares the end of the operation. Most Iranian projectiles intercepted by IDF and allied forces.

This retaliatory strike comes on the heels of an airstrike on April 1, which targeted an Iranian consular building in Damascus, allegedly carried out by Israel. The assault was purportedly in response to an earlier incident involving Hezbollah and Hamas that led to severe casualties.

According to reports, the multi-front offensive by Iran and its allies involved over 200 missiles and drones. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were quick to respond, intercepting the majority of these projectiles. Despite the extensive aerial defence efforts, a missile part injured an Israeli Bedouin child, with thirty-one others sustaining minor injuries during the rush to safety.

In an international response, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Jordan provided aerial support to intercept the attacks, while France deployed naval assets to assist.

Iran’s envoy to the United Nations declared the operation concluded as of today, but tensions remain high. The IDF has successfully jammed electronic guidance systems used by the missiles, reducing the accuracy of the strikes. Early this morning, explosions and air raid sirens were reported in multiple regions including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with the latter near critical infrastructure.

More as the situation develops.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

61 COMMENTS

  1. Ok, so Iran has now poked the nuclear armed Bear in the most provocative way, and after basically failing in its mission to cause the destruction it had hoped for it declares an end to the poking. But what does the Bear do now? Sit back with a sense of satisfaction that it suffered less than a pin prick, or retaliate in a manner that rains destruction on those that chose to poke it??

    • Neither Israel or Iran want a war with each other, I’m guessing neither does anything going forward. Iran deliberately launched a very slow very well advertised strike with remote control planes so they could all be shot down.

      • Exactly Iran did it in a way to give far too much notice and with a number of drones/missiles that could easily be destroyed. Id guess the small number that got through actually got let through on purpose just so Israel can use the excuse they got attacked on home soil.

        What long range capability does Israel actually have to retaliate with though? I doubt regional countries will allow Israel to use airbases to attack Iran.

        • Lots of missiles. Basllistic. Plus a very capable air force. The question is what will it take to stop Iran fomenting war against Israel?
          However, Netanyahu’s genocide against all Gazans has been far too indiscriminate.

          • I know it seem odd, but I actually consider his actions in the West Bank to be more morally bankrupt than in Gaza…although I truly hate what is happening in Gaza and think it needs to end..but

            when we look at Gaza there was a real and present danger to Israel ( Hamas was an army of people who wanted to slaughter Jews and destroy Israel)..and many western nations have gone at least as far or done worse in their own defence when they felt attacked or at risk..and in living memory ( infact we and the US have both been far more brutal in our own defence when attacked)…

            There is an argument about how far you can and should go in your own defence, but we need to be carful that we are not being completely hypocritical. The US dropped two atomic bombs on cities, we firebombed cities into oblivion and both the US an UK declared and prosecuted the war on terror and invaded two nations. that those actions in the end unleashed violent that probability killed a few million people is documented fact…I respect someone that agues all offensive action in defence is wrong, but I tend to have an issue if people only feel it’s wrong if someone else does it….

            but the actions in the West Bank were always about stealing land and preventing Fatah from forming a meanful government and not about defence…it meant that the Palestinian people could not develop a meaningfull state in the West Bank under Fatah..and allowed Hamas to grow their hate filled vileness in Gaza. The actions of the isreali government in the West Bank were always a stain on that nation…..Gaza is war..brutal and horrible as wars of survival alway are.

          • Tend to agree, the West Bank was always about Greater Israel’ because the Bible at least to the extremist nutter wing of Israeli Society deemed it right and legal. Now there are few ‘moderates’ to do a deal with. Many claim there hasn’t been an election in Palestinian lands for 20 years but fact is the US and Israel have actively preventing one knowing that the West Bank would fall under Hamas control too. Not sure how these decades long policies have made Israel safer, indeed it angers me that their political machinations inspired by racist hardliners threaten greater World hatred to the West and potentially World War and is particularly galling to hear them screaming for foreign support and weapons to fight a conflict they did much to bring about. A mad World indeed.

          • …and there’s the rub his behaviour there with the help of right wing extremist ultra religious nutters is a little more subtle but little less despicable than that of Hamas and had it been stopped a two state solution could have been evolved long ago and the worst extremism largely marginalised. Sadly a war mongering leader didn’t want that and I for one do not want to be dragged into a war by him. Especially when we are so ill prepared.

          • Totally agree it has a capable air force, but it doesn’t have long range bombers, nothing close. Even with in flight refuelling (does Israel have such capability in a number to launch and sustain a credible response?) it would need air space permission for the entire region which let’s be realistic is opening a huge can of worms.

            Which ballistic missiles do they have? US or home made?

          • Hi James. They struck Iran back in the 1970s or 80s with an airstrike on the nuclear reactor. So they could strike Iran wether permission granted or not.
            They have the Jericho II & III ballistic missiles, the latter with a 3-4,000 mile range & up to a 3,000lb warhead, that could hit Iran easily. Also other conventional missiles.
            They’ve even exported them to South Africa.

          • Agreeing with your point that Israel has the capability to strike at Iran with a variety of options,they alledgedly have flown their F35’s over Tehran just for a bit of PR.In 1981 they executed Operation Opera to take out the Nuclear Reactor at Osirak which was a great success but that was in Iraq not Iran.

        • They have attacked Iran before though some years ago now. How they did it and with what if any assistance is obscure. They have the capacity however.

      • Neither may want a full scale war just now. But Iran is openly committed to the destruction of Israel. Wherever it can it uses proxies, mainly Hezbollah, to carry out regular rocket attacks on northern Israel. It has trained and equipped Hamas to do the same from Gaza.This latest direct attack is perhaps just a face saving exercise after Israel justifiably killed IRG officers in Damascus who were directing attacks on Israel. But it is also a probing attack, testing Israeli defences and depleting their missile stocks. Iran is saying that the attack is over unless Israel responds, but why believe them? Israel needs to hit them hard. Attacking military targets would be entirely justified. But it might be more effective to destroy as much of Iran’s power infrastructure as possible.

        • Remember up until the late 90’s Iran and Israel were considered allies.

          Irans big problem is that no one person or group is actually in charge and these groups are often sponsoring foreign policy initiatives to fight internal factions as much as external powers.

          The Iranian Regime is barely hanging on by its finger nails at the moment.

          It’s also debatable just how much control it has over proxies.

          Just look what happens any time the US has set up proxies with the CIA and I can guarantee the US is more capable than Iran at doing this, from the Contras to the mujahideen it’s normally almost impossible to control proxies and they often end up blowing up in your face.

          • To be honest Jim that’s the problem..the Israeli government is also in trouble…one of the big triggers for wars is governments that need an external enemy…in this case the weakness of the Iranian regime is actually creating a greater risk of war…

          • Very true let’s be honest Netanyahu is probably one election away from being in prison for his deeds at home. Indeed some of the stuff he did while living in the US was reportedly pretty suspect too. A vile man, and the vision of that near smirk on his face as he explained (he will never apologise for anything) the death of the aid workers will never leave me.

          • Indeed, I normally say it takes two to make peace and one to make war, but in this case although Hamas clearly made war, I think Netanyahu has a level of guilt….he very clearly sabotaged Fatah and used Hamas against them, while feeding some home grown extremists views….that feed tension in the West Bank further fuelling Hamas…

            If Israel had had a leader that wanted peace with a two state solution, it could have happened..if fatah had been strengthened and international support was given to Fatah to remove Hamas..then we could have had a different outcome..

            As it is I think we are at a point where a war to annihilation is inevitable, I think Israel is now likely to attempt to completely destroy any form of Palestinian state and Iran will use that as an excuse to try and get a coalition of forces to attack Israel….

            One of the big worries is that a lot of the western facing Middle Eastern nations have populations that are more aligned to Irans view ( anti Israel anti western)…and there is a possibly that nations like Jordan being forces to choose sides could lead to civil strife and spreading instability and anti western views…which is what our enemies would love….Netanyahu has created a big problem.

          • Not sure that the two countries were ever allies. There were full diplomatic relations with the Shah from 1953 to 1979. The fundamentalist regime has from its beginning threatened to wipe Israel off the map, refusing to recognize it as a legitimate state.
            The uncertain levels of central control over different factions within Iran are precisely why Israel needs to hit back hard. Not doing so could embolden the hard liners to take even bigger risks.

          • On both sides sadly so a slow or otherwise expansion of threats and retaliations will bring us all into conflict I fear.

          • Yep and that is the horrendous state of extremely dangerous affairs we find ourselves in thanks to neglect and lack of resolve by many parties this past 30 years in this region. I fear we will all suffer for it as it players right into the ‘New World Order’ China with its useful idiot Russia are planning for us to live in. Not a pretty sight.

      • Cruise and Ballistic missiles is hardly a very slow attack, no Israeli PM can sit and do nothing after such an attack.

      • What they want is actually profoundly irrelevant. There was not a single nation that really wanted World War One..they still got it, these events have a trajectory all of their own, the trajectory of the Middle East is towards a general war..and I’m not seeing a single nation that is doing anything other than following the dance steps to that outcome. We have a few very toxic elements.

        1) a continuous ( over many decades) dialogue of the other side being less than human and the enemy at the door..this is a dialogue that both the government of Israel and the government of Iran have promoted and feed.
        2) a core group of the population that have completely internalised this view of the other as a sub human enemy.
        3) weak executives on both sides that have been challenged at home and needs to be seen as strong on the external threat…or it will loss its political capital from points 2-3.
        4) armed extra national groups that are enabled by points 1-3 and are actively undertaking offensive action.
        5) both executives have already engaged in significant levels of kinetic actions via proxies.
        6) both executives have now committed the armed forces of their nations against the other nation.

        Essentially war is probability now inevitable infact it’s de facto occurring already…with Israel now engaged in active fighting, Hamas, Hezbollah and attacking and being attacked by Iran, and the U.S. and UK actively attacking and being attacked by the Houthi and supporting Israel in defending itself against attack from Iran….the only question will be who and how far will or extent and the level of contagion.

        likely: Israel, UK, US vs Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthi
        possible: Syria involvement as well as France
        unlikely other Middle Eastern nations,
        very unlikely Russia and nato nations such as Turkey, Germany and others such as India.

        lets be honest throwing multiple hundreds of drones and missiles at at nation is not a warning or an appropriate response..it’s an act of war.

          • I’m not a follower or believer in Fritz fishers views around the genesis of WW1 it was and is a very black and white view that promotes a certain view of the German governments motivation that the majority of historians don’t hold with…so it is not “simple as”…there are a spectrum of views…including the view that the UK government overreacted to the conflict and escalated beyond what it could have been…but the vast majority of historians still follow the view that a shattering World war was not the outcome any side was looking for.

            The majority view is that it’s cause was a set of accidents and incidents that due to a complex set of alliances and political triggers with lock step mobilisations to the triggers created an effect no one could control…that is the majority view of historians..

            there is another group who believe Germany saw itself in a trap that would inevitably destroy it and undertook a preempted strike , because it felt it had no choice…

            So using the term “simple as” in regards to the geopolitical nightmare that caused WW1 is reductionist in the extreme….you cannot pick a certainty…..but on balance most people agree WW1 was not intended and happened due to a system of geopolitical dominoes no one felt they could stop.

          • indeed, although I suspect that the pile of kindling would have been lit up by another match at some point….

        • Pretty much spot on, Britain indeed was not involved in WW1 till Germany invaded Belgium which initiated the commitment to protect Belgium signed after the Napoleonic War with the intent to thwart French ambitions. Thats how the law of unwanted circumstances develop without anyone being in true control and escalation potentially leads to events no one wants.

          While Jim has a point certain elements as always seek conflict most were dragged into that war by the nose like falling dominos putting pressure on the next.

      • I agree with your first thoughts – they do alreay have war, asymmetrical and frequently unpublicised; Iranian supplied and operated drones and unguided missiles have been pounding northern Israel for months past. Iran believes the destruction of Israel is a necessity impelled by scripture. So that ‘war’ is here to stay.

        The slow moving drones were timed to overwhelm Israeli defences that were also going to be attacked by high subsonic cruise missiles and ballistic missiles; timing was everything but appears not to have achieved the saturation point required.

        There is no benign intention that could be fielded against a neighbouring state by firing missiles against it, whatever their performance.

        The participation of Jordan is significant. None of the Sunni Arab states wants a stronger Iran, especially not on their doorstep. The ‘Palestinian cause’ has today one backer outside the ‘western street’ and that is Iran.

    • Have a good scratch against a tree and go back to sleep hopefully. Iran wants them to respond with more force. That Iran announced this hours before and then mostly used slow moving drones that would take hours to arrive I find hillarious.
      The West, and Israel’s Cyber and EW capabilities are far greater than advertised. Just fiddle with the traffic lights in Tehran for a bit.

      • Morning M8,
        Just watched the IDF on BBC very heavy emphasis on 99% were destroyed “outside Israeli Airspace” and are busily whacking the proxies in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. Only 1 person injured by shrapnel (7 year old girl).
        I think it may be over ! But all eyes on Netanyahu now, so it depends on him being sensible, level headed and non confrontational 🥴
        Let’s see what our home grown left wing, ultra liberal rent a mobs do about this one.

        One thing is for sure it just shows what can be done with an advanced, integrated Air Defence system. Rishi any chance ?

        • You can be sure that rent a mob will be out in force claiming Iran are the victims and are only ‘supporting’ the oppressed masses!

          • Yep and today Hammond was back at it again, the big of growth we have may mean I can cut some more taxes later this year.
            Rather than “as promised I said we would increase spending up to 2.5% when circumstances allow, so as they have we will now do it”

            And 🐷 may 🛫

          • I met Gavin Williamson once…I got the distinct impresssion he wasn’t a great fan of Hammond.
            I was so conflicted after that …I can’t stand Hammond smug self satisfied arsehole.

        • According to the Jerusalem Post:
          “Iran labels attack on Israel ‘success’ ”
          Just shows how far removed from reality the Tehran regime is.

          • I have a very funny feeling that last night the forces of common sense got their acts together. Jordan, UK, US and France 🤷🏼‍♂️ all piled in to stop Israel getting hit. Iran had practically provided maps and a stopwatch, so the Big Ball that goes bang is smack on Netanyahus lap but he may be in his own.
            Biden was very careful with his words about an emergency G7 call to discuss diplomatic steps.
            If Israel has any sense they will just smack the living daylights out of the Proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
            But ……. It’s all up to one deranged Israeli with a jail sentence facing him if he steps down or is forced out.

            The good news is this may just unlock the US congress to approve the Military Aid for Ukraine as it’s tied to Israel’s.

        • 😁 Your final paragraph has preempted a post re a significant, underestimated feature of this episode. Excellent rhetorical question. Perhaps Sleepy Joe would similarly take this concept under advisement (hope springs eternal). 🤞

          • You’ll forgive me if my political understanding of US Politics is wrong but isn’t this the opportunity Biden has to do Tangerine Man a real knock out blow ?
            The US has a huge historical loyalty to Israel, I just wish the Ultras in Israel realised just how lucky they are.
            Biden needs to call out the so called Republicans (I don’t think they are) for what they, a bunch of political chancers who are risking 000’s of lives in Ukraine and now in Israel.

            Daft as it sounds I actually think Biden isn’t doing too bad a job regarding Israel !

        • Mate, to be fair you’re right. I was thinking of a response without the missiles and bombs that will inflame even more.

          • Point taken. At this precise point I’m not sure any of the parties are looking to inflame the situation (which is unusual). Yet they don’t want to appear weak either. Iran has troubles at home. Israel is still embroiled in Gaza. The UK and US are still hoping someone will listen to them. The position remains the same – the US will back Israel with everything it has if push come to shove and that means Iran will be biting off more than it can chew. Israel don’t need to do anything.

          • Looks to me like it was designed to fail. Very strange. The US clearly think it was too pathetic to respond to. A proportionate response from the IDF might be tricky – so they might well not bother. Certainly I’m am not convinced either side is looking for a full scale confrontation – although it is difficult to be sure.

          • I agree it was designed to fail, the news is full of that, rather than the msc Aries owned by Israel/uk that they siezed at the same time. Is this the start of iran shutting the straits of hormuz?

          • Msc Aries incident seems to be business as usual for Iran. Closing the straits, or attempting to, would be a significant change in policy and would invite a significant response. Not sure Iran wants to go there just yet.

      • Unfortunately this is just another step up the escalation tree and I don’t think either side has the ability or will to get off it…( the governments of both Israel and Iran are to weak at home) unfortunately my prediction is likely a regional war by the summer ( there is simply to much fighting and conflict for it to go anywhere else..we are not talking a few isolated incidents here) …the only question in my mind is will that be a limited Israeli vs Iran and proxi conflict or also include the , US, UK ? ( I think it’s fair to say the the US and UK are already engaged and will probably find it difficult to disengage)..the final question is what level of contagion will there be…

        possible contagion includes ( both very unlikely but not zero)

        1) Syria involvement risking engagement with Russian forces.
        2) India having its shipping interdicted and triggering greater tension with Iran
        3) the other Middle Eastern states get involved…the problem is it’s almost impossible to predict them as generally the governments of these states are wanting to stay neutral or cannot stand Iran…but their populations hate Israel and the U.S…which is a toxic combination and difficult to make any prediction…its a very remote, but it is possible that some states many be forced to reluctantly side with Iran or face overthrowing by radical Islamists….some states may free safe and hate Iran enough that they even actively side with Israel and the U.S.

        We are not going to see de escalation unfortunately…and even every proportional response is actually in reality just another step up the escalation tree….

        • …and Russia gets what it wants,many in the Congress are already saying the US can’t support Israel and Ukraine and the forme4 is its bigger ally. The naivety is excruciating, this is about the survival of Europe and Israel cannot remain in existence if Europe becomes a proxy of Russia, that’s simply a deological fact and Ukraine is but the first step in a far greater power struggle than Israel which is but a sideshow in reality.

          • Indeed, the sad thing is everyone knows what the only answer to peace in that region is..a two state solution with fatah running Gaza and the westbank as a fully independent nation supported by the UN…with the more moderate Muslim regional powers helping it to suppress Hamas…with lots of inward investment to improve lives…a border controlled and managed by Fatah with open reasonably open access and trade from Egypt to Gaza on one side and Jordan and the Westbank on the other…

            The only border Isreal then really needs to concern itself with is its northern border with Hezbollah and Syria.

            The sad thing is Jordan and Egypt have now for a long time accepted the sovereignty of the state of Israel…so it existential threat comes from the extremists of Hamas and Hezbollah…Iran cannot really threaten the existence of Israel without its proxies or turning Jordan..if the Palestinian two state solution is finally sorted out and a strengthened Fatah can deal with the Hamas issue it becomes a lot safer…I’m not sure how the whole Hezbollah part of the equation is managed other than Israel fortifying and focusing on that northern border..which it can do more effectively if it’s got a friendly Fatah destroying Hamas and good relations with Jordan ( shielding it from Iran) and good relations with Egypt…

            I agree with you around Ukraine..if Ukraine was to fall..it would lead to a Russia profoundly strengthened…it would then not even need to directly confront nato…I suspect it would start further campaigns of conquest in

            1) Georgia….Azerbaijani is now a formal ally of Russia as is Armenia …this mean the last holdout in that region is Georgia..Russia has already invaded once and supported an insurgent movement…Georgia will probably be conquered directly after Ukraine…this would effectively fully link Iran, Russia all of Russias satellite states and china into a single linked alliance…essentially a super Asian power block.
            2) Moldova another nation in which Russia has already supported a separatist movement and which is ripe to fall…these county projects into NATO and
            3) Russia taking Ukraine would have it border one of the truly weak links in NATO and the EU…Hungary….this nation is in reality a defecto ally of Russia and china…I suspect we would see Hungary leave the west’s influence and NATO and formally ally with Russia if Ukraine and then Moldova falls.
            4) through Hungary there is an open door to another issue and that’s Serbia…I could see Serbia becoming part of an alliance with Russia if Ukraine fell and Hungary defected…Russia then has a direct conduit into the issue around Bosnia and the secessionist threats as well as causing issues in Kosovo…

            only after all this troublemaking do I think Russia will feel ready to take on NATO..I suspect it will start with..

            1) subverting Montenegro…a nation which its tried to subvert just before it joined NATO in 2017with assassination attempts and a coup.
            2) subvert the three Baltic states through political warfware.

            All the while this is going on china will be winding up for a war in the pacific….

          • Did you watch the recent repeats of the 90’s documentaries on the Israel/Palestine conflicts – Very inetersting and reminded me of many things I had fogotten and hadn’t realised at the time (I was busy doing other thingsin the 90’s) .
            Basically at the end (3/3 parts) it talked about how relative peace was almost acheived with Arrafat until the Israel PM got shot at some peace ‘gathering’ , and Netanyahu came to power aftterwards
            That put the kiboshers on it and Hamas then started to influence more control in Gaza.

            Personally I dont trust Netanyahu.

            Added to that he’s a personal friend of Trump apparently…well according to WIKI anyway🤔

          • I will have to look that one up..I sort of missed most of the 90s and it’s all sort of vague up until 2000 when I got all respectable…..🙄. But completely agree Netanyahu is a complete nightmare who’s basically 25% to blame for the present Middle Eastern geopolitical nightmare ( with 25% on Iran and 50% on the completely nutter hate filled jihadists.

      • I don’t think Iran does want that, it does not want a war with Israel but it wants to be seen internally, its proxies and client and potential client nations and allies as tough and powerful. Best way to do that is fall short of actually having it put to the test in an actual war.

  2. Right then,obviously the Israeli lobby in America will be going bonkers for military aid to Isreal! Is this a chance to get congress and that muppet Johnson to have a vote on the aid package before them? Or if they try to just get aid for Isreal then the White House can say one for all and all for one🤞

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